Crackdown on auto sector’s hype machine signals a new era

Product war: People at an auto show in Shanghai. The campaign is necessary due to the rat race to win car buyers that has spawned a cottage industry of marketing firms and paid influencers. — Bloomberg

SHANGHAI: China is making moves to rein in the increasingly chaotic online ecosystem surrounding its auto industry, launching a three-month campaign to curb practices that regulators say distort competition and mislead consumers.

The joint notice, issued last week by six powerful agencies including the Industry and Information Technology Ministry and the Cyberspace Administration of China, targets illicit profiteering, false promotion and malicious attacks.